


What Lies Ahead

by RomeoandAntoinette



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Adulthood, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Future Fic, Honeymoon, Investigation Team cameo, Kissing, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Pizza, Post-Canon, References to Canon, References to Saki, Smut, Wedding Night, Weddings, adult souyo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2019-10-16 03:14:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17541590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomeoandAntoinette/pseuds/RomeoandAntoinette
Summary: "To roadless travel, together we go." A story of Yu and Yosuke's proposal, marriage, and honeymoon. All the while, the two live out their lives as working, committed adults in the bustling city of Tokyo. [Post-canon/Future Fic][Adult Souyo]





	1. Proposal

“Sir, have you been helped yet?”

Yu blinked rapidly as the question shattered the haze he’d been floating in. He cast his eyes upward to see a woman with wavy brown hair dressed in a white shirt and black vest looking down at him with a lofted brow and a quizzical expression.

Yu supposed the confusion was warranted. After all, he had been crouched over the same jewelry case and musing for at least five minutes. He imagined that the curious saleswoman was checking in on him.

He must have looked as lost and clueless as he felt. It was unlike him to wear his heart on his sleeve so candidly, so her surprisingly accurate comment jostled his already frayed nerves.

The result caused him to awkwardly stutter before answering.

“Um, well…not yet, but I did have a couple of questions,” Yu said, slowly straightening his back until he was eye-level with her. Once his spine was properly erect with his usual amount of poise, he managed a small smile and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his winter coat. “How did you know?

She laughed lightly in response to his question before reaching down to unlock the case that Yu had been studying so keenly.

“I see a lot of guys wandering in the rings section, especially this time of year,” she confessed with a wink. “Winter is still a popular time for proposals, even after the holidays.”

The comment made him wince, not in pain, but in surprise. The young woman had accurately pinned his motives with little effort. Yu wasn’t used to that. When it came to his true feelings, he was usually an impressively effective gatekeeper at keeping emotions on-lock when he wanted to.

“Do you have an idea of what you’re looking for?” she asked as she slid the cushioned tray out of his home and onto the surface of the counter. Each band glittered vibrantly under the store’s strategically placed lights.

“Um…kind of,” Yu responded truthfully, exhaling his laughter with a single breath. The answer practically oozed indecision.

“Well, let’s start simple,” she proposed. “Do you have a preference on the band color? Like, would your partner prefer gold or silver?”

It seemed they were jumping right in. At least they were starting with a question Yu could answer with absolute certainty.

“Definitely gold,” Yu replied instantly. “Not white gold, and I don’t think rose gold would work either.”

She nodded at his answer and altered the selection before Yu so that only the store’s selection of yellow gold bands was at the forefront.

“A fine choice, sir,” she replied in a singsong. “Now for the gemstones. We have diamonds, which are classic, but we also carry a wide selection of…”

“Um, the person I’m getting this for doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry…” Yu replied carefully. “At least, I don’t think one big, set stone would be something they’d go for.”

It wasn’t that the extra expense of a gemstone would have been an issue, but Yu wanted to get something his partner would be able to wear in his daily life without hindrance. He didn’t want to choose an accessory that posed troubles or didn’t cater to his aesthetic.

“So, no large stones,” she repeated, nodding in understanding. “So, you’re looking for a band that either has smaller embellishments or is completely unadorned.”

“That sounds right,” Yu said, sounding more confident than before. “Something simple but not plain, if that makes any sense.”

She paused for a moment before grinning at him broadly.

“Let me guess…” she said suddenly, leaning over the counter playfully. “Your partner is the sporty type? Athletic? Maybe good with his hands too, if I may be so bold?”

Yu let his eyes fall shut as a chuckle escaped him. She’d done it again. Why bother being surprised anymore?

“You bet he is,” Yu admitted, bashfulness tinging his voice. “He’s a little showy sometimes, but he’s surprisingly humble, especially about how hard he works. He loves bright colors, but he wouldn’t like anything too flashy.”

Yu could barely answer a question about Yosuke without rambling on. He was sure he sounded absolutely smitten.

Judging by the girl’s wide smile, she’d picked up on his high levels of doting admiration.

“I see,” she replied, chuckling a bit at how long and detailed Yu’s answer was despite the simplicity of the question. “Okay, so, a gold band with no huge gemstones. We have quite a few styles in stock.”

Again, she rearranged the case expertly yet again so that the selection before Yu was strategically narrowed down.

“We can also do stripes of other metals, or even petrified wood,” she offered, her pointer finger zigzagging across the expense of the tray as she pointed out all the different combinations and design options. “Oh, and we can engrave bands too!”

Both of those options sounded interesting, and he made sure to note each one with nod and hum of affirmation. Not that Yosuke wouldn’t look fabulous in a princess-cut diamond, but as Yu swept his steely gaze across the tray of glittering gold beneath him, he already saw many more fitting options than before. The saleswoman really was good at her job.

Then, a certain band caught his eye. The appeal of the ring was almost instantaneous the second his eyes skimmed it.

“May I see that one?” he asked.

The band was a vibrant shade of yellow gold, but the circumference was lined with a thin band of yellow topaz. It was brightly colored and shone like the sun, but slim in overall size and sophisticated in its allure.

It practically embodied Yosuke’s existence.

“Oh, that’s a wonderful choice,” the saleswoman gushed from the other side of the case. “Yellow topaz is so lovely too, but it’s so underappreciated.”

Yu nodded as he continued to stare at the ring dreamily.

“You know…” she started to say, speaking lightly as to not interrupt his daydreaming too much, “This ring has been in this case ever since I started working here. People always skim over it, but nobody had ever bought it. Then, you came in and picked it out immediately. It’s like this ring was waiting patiently for you.”

The sentiment made his fingers twitch. “That’s…very sweet.”

“Isn’t it funny how the universe works sometimes?”

“It really is,” he muttered, slowly realizing the ring was a perfect pick for Yosuke in more ways than he ever thought possible.

Yu thought it must have been obvious how obviously enamored he was to prompt such remarks from her, but he was grateful that she seemed to share her enthusiasm for the situation. After all, she was just a saleswoman doing her job. He didn’t expect her to express such joy and interest in his decision, but Yu truly appreciated that she did. Even if she was only trying to make another sale and didn’t care as much as she let on, it didn’t change the fact that she had helped him make one of the most important decisions of his life with poise and grace that he’d failed to bring to the table himself.

“Hey, did you pick out yellow topaz for any specific reason?” she asked curiously.

The odd question gave him pause.

“Hm?” he hummed, his perplexity clear. “Oh, I chose it because orange is his favorite color and, well, he’s a very sunny person. I think it would suit him. Why?”

“I just wasn’t sure,” she shrugged simply. “You know, some people chose certain stones for certain meanings. Gemstone symbolism is kind of having a trendy moment right now.”

“Really?’ he asked, blinking curiously. “Has anyone ever told you anything about yellow topaz?”

“They sure have,” she answered. “Did you know yellow topaz is a healing stone? Actually, it’s an ‘air’ and ‘healing’ stone.”

The corner of Yu’s mouth twitched slightly. “Really? Air and healing, huh?”

“Really,” she said. “Apparently, it’s because of its golden color. You know, they also say yellow topaz is a good stone for financial help, and even for marital relationships.”

His expression harbored a cheeky grin.

“So, it’ll give me good luck?” he teased lightly, rolling the band between his fingers.

“Hey, you never know!” she fired back playfully. Her shoulders bobbed in an impartial shrug. “Then again, I don’t think you need it. With how much though you put into the ring, it’s clear you love your boyfriend very much. I’m sure, of all things, luck is what you’ll need the least.”

The comment rendered Yu speechless for a moment. Then, he cleared his throat and offered her thanked her with a humble nod. “Oh. That…means a lot to hear. Thank you very much.”

“No problem,” she chirped. “I’ve done nothing but tell the truth, after all.”

The woman then straightened her back and folded her hands back on the top of the case patiently as she awaited his final verdict.

Seeing this, Yu reverted his attention back to the ring to study it one final time.

The metal band was still slightly cold to the touch, which only made his own touch burn like fire in comparison. He could practically envision showing the ring to Yosuke and sliding it onto his finger.

The mere thought made Izanagi’s energy thunder deep in his heart. The effect almost knocked him off his feet.

 _Damn_ , he thought, smirking a bit as the muscles in his legs flexed a bit to keep him upright.

He hadn’t felt that kind of strong approval in quite a while. Not since he and Yosuke shared their first kiss, all the way back in their senior year of high school, had he felt such a rush of pleasure from his mostly-dormant Persona.

There was no question about it.

“I think this is it,” Yu declared breathlessly. Then, with more certainty, he added, “This is the one.”

“Wonderful!” she clapped, looking positively thrilled at his decision. She delicately took the ring from his outstretched hand to double-check the size and polish the metal to shiny perfection behind the counter. After setting the band in an appropriately sized velvet box, she ecstatically propped it open one more time so he could examine it. With his blessing, she snapped it shut and proceeded to escort him to the nearest register.

As she punched the details of his purchase into the computer, Yu was more than content to fish into his pocket to brandish his wallet. One quick card exchange and a few signatures later, and the velvet box was placed gently into his palm. The weight was so light, but as he tried to close his fingers around the plush curves, he was unable tuck the bulky box into his palm. That surprised him. Engagement ring boxes always looked so small and non-threatening when he saw them in passing or in proposal scenes in movies.

All of a sudden, the one in his hand felt huge and heavy…but in a good way.

To him, it was proof that the situation was real. It was really happening.

He was really going to propose to his best friend.

“Congratulations again,” the saleswoman said as she slid the remaining paperwork, all folded securely into a ribbon-synched envelop, across the counter to him. “Would you like a bag for everything?”

“No, thank you,” he replied as he reached into his pocket to grab his gloves. “I can fit everything in my coat. Besides, I think he’s already home, and if he sees any bag from a department store, he sticks his nose in to look.”

“Aw, he’s curious like a cat!” she cooed.

“He’s lucky I love cats,” Yu added, tugging each glove on firmly. He then patted both the folder and ring to make sure they were safe and secured inside his coat.

“If you don’t mind me asking, when are you popping the question, Mister—” she paused mid-sentence to glance at the name that had popped on her screen when she’d scanned his card, “—Mr. Narukami?”

“This weekend,” Yu laughed as he took the paperwork into his ungloved and slipped in firmly into the inside pocket of his coat. “I made reservations at the restaurant a while ago. No going back now, right?”

“Well, good luck,” she replied, giving him two thumbs-up high above her head. “I’ll be thinking of you!”

It was too sweet of a gesture for him to not chuckle out loud.

“Thank you for everything, Miss…” he started to reply before trying to squint to make out the name printed on the small nametag clipped to the lapel of her sleek, black uniform.

 “Oh, just call me Saki,” she said with a light laugh. “There’s no need to be formal when we’ll probably never meet again.”

The sound of her name sobered him a bit. He flashed his gaze to meet hers. “What? Did you say…?”

“After all, the only reason you’d come back here would be to return your ring,” she clarified upon seeing his sudden change in his expression. “It’s that right, _Yu_?”

He swallowed thickly.

“…Right,” he finally sighed, his shoulders slumping as he glanced back at the smiling girl. “Thank you, Saki. You’ve been a really big help.”

“Sure thing!” she chirped while raising her arm to wave at him cheerfully. “And Yu, don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope I don’t see you again.”

 “Of course,” Yu said, his voice soft as he leaned against the store’s dark oak entryway. Yu shot her an appreciative smile. “Well then, take care.”

“Thank you for your patronage!”

With that, the doorman opened the store’s exit. A few steps later, Yu was back on the busy city sidewalk.

The jazzy tempo of the store’s elevator music petered out and was slowly replaced with the abrasive sounds of squealing buses and car horns. A sea of lit-up phone screens snaked up and down the crowded walkways as passerby huddled in large groups for any semblance of warmth against the unforgiving winter winds.

It was as if he’d been dropped back into the real world again. Back into the chaos and bleary-eyed mundanity of everyday life.

Still a tad startled from the uncanny experience, he let the doorman pull the exit shut behind him and began his walk along the snowy, lamplit streets of Tokyo. Head still buzzing from the experience, he took another lung-cleansing breath before putting the ring in his pocket and bracing himself against the icy city winds for the trip home.

It gave him plenty of time to think about how funny the universe really was.

* * *

It was nothing short of a religious experience for Yu to open the frozen door of his apartment building and feel the warmth of the HVAC system melt the light dusting of snow that had accumulated on his coat and in his hair as waited for the elevator to slowly creek up to his floor.

By the time he made it upstairs, his coat and hair were slightly damp from the amount of melted condensation that had soaked into the fabric of his clothes. He found himself pushing his bangs, flattened from moisture, over his head and out of his eyes and he dug through his pocket for his keys.

As he rifled through his coat, he could also pick up on the distinct smell of miso wafting from beneath the door. The aroma made his stomach rumble in anticipation, and his excitement was heightened by the fact that he knew exactly who was standing over the stove and cooking on the other side.

Smiling to himself, Yu turned the key and popped his head into the apartment.

“I’m home,” he announced. Although the apartment looked empty from his viewpoint, he could hear the low chatter of the living room television and the sizzle of food on the stovetop from the kitchen, which was tucked off to the side.

As expected, a chipper voice greeted his declaration with thankful gusto.

“Welcome back!” Yosuke called. He sounded equal parts excited and relieved at Yu’s arrival. “Dude, thank goodness you’re home. The snow has been non-stop ever since lunch. I was getting ready to call you and see where you were.”

Yu immediately removed his coat and strategically folded it over his arm. He decided quickly to take advantage of Yosuke’s preoccupied state to hang the coat back in their bedroom closet rather than leaving it out on the hall coatrack like he usually did.

“I’m okay,” Yu replied as he exchanged his leather work shoes for slippers. “It’s not looking good out there though. I’m glad you made it back too. Are you in for the rest of the night?”

“Sure am,” Yosuke nodded as he moved to the adjacent counter to chop some veggies. As expected, he accomplished the task with admirable speed and precision.

“That’s good to hear,” Yu offered sincerely. “I ended up walking because the buses and trains were packed. It’s really freezing out there.”

“Hell yeah, it is,” Yosuke said, his attention still fully captivated by the dinner preparation taking place on the stovetop. “I almost turned into a Topsicle just from walking from the train station to the front door. I swear I couldn’t stop shivering for, like, an hour! That’s why the kitchen is a disaster-zone right now. I had to make us something hot for dinner. I figured the later you were out, the colder it would be when you finally got to come home.”

He held the coat close as he traversed the living room around the kitchen.

“That’s very considerate of you,” Yu said truthfully. He barely resisted the urge to walk up and peck his boyfriend on the cheek. “It smells amazing, Yosuke.”

It allowed for the perfect opportunity for Yu to sneak behind him, walk to their room down the hall, and hang the coat up in the closet without attracting any attention.

“Jeez, partner,” Yosuke laughed, biting his lips with excitement despite the obvious sarcasm he tried to inject into the statement. “You’re gonna make me blush.”

Yosuke didn’t cook as often as Yu did, so compliments about the quality of aroma of the cooking had an unbelievably positive effect on him. Yu knew that and seized every opportunity to help bolster Yosuke’s confidence in his own abilities.

While Yosuke tended to the food, Yu stole silently to the closet and hung his coat up on the far side of the closet, hiding the garment behind his other jackets and blazers.

 Less than a moment later, Yu emerged from the bedroom and joined Yosuke at the stovetop.

“I’m glad you didn’t turn into an Ice-suke,” he teased lightly, moving behind his boyfriend to gently ruffle his fawn-colored hair.

When Yosuke titled his head back to tease his boyfriend in return, Yu seized the opportunity to lean in and steal kiss instead. The touch was quick, but it was enough to still Yosuke’s hands and prompt their bodies to drift closer. Almost immediately, Yu could feel the warmth coming from Yosuke’s body, and wanted to surround himself in the feeling as much as possible.

Even then they broke apart, he still craved for more.

“Are you warmed up now?” Yosuke asked with a dreamy exhale.

“Not quite,” Yu laughed as he used a free hand to cup Yosuke’s cheek and slowly bring their mouths together for another kiss. Yosuke didn’t need any convincing to abandon the cutting board and knives just for a second to return the soft embrace.

The kiss was chaste but unbelievably warm. The lingering cold from the winter snowflakes evaporated instantly the second Yosuke’s mouth covered his, as if he had just entered a warm oasis.

When the pulled apart, they bumped foreheads playfully.

“Do you need any help?” Yu asked, fingers gently coaxing the loose weave of his boyfriend’s pullover.

The flirtatious comment provoked a knowing grin from Yosuke.

“Not with what you’re clearly thinking,” Yosuke chided gently, and he couldn’t resist chuckling at the guilty expression that flashed across Yu’s features faster than he could stop it.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” Yosuke sighed, his lips pulled back into a smile that put the vibrancy of the sun to shame. “Let’s get you warmed up with some food before anything else, okay?”

Yu pretended to mull over the decision with an exaggerated hum, even lifting his hand to rub his jawline in an overstated pantomime more suited for a silent film than casual kitchen banter. With a roll of the eyes, Yosuke spun him around by the shoulders and pushed him toward their living room.

As Yu walked away, he couldn’t resist sneaking one more glance over his shoulder. The mere sight of his best friend and partner cooking in their shared kitchen, and still blushing for their kiss moments before, was enough to make his knees weaken.

Even though they’d known each other and had been dating for years, Yu Narukami still couldn’t believe how completely and utterly in love he was with Yosuke Hanamura, and he knew the adoration he felt would continue to grow with each passing day. There was no vessel, real or theoretical, that could contain the fondness he felt for Yosuke, just like there was no fathomable force strong enough to penetrate their bond.

They’d put the theory to the test on a goddess and still beat the odds. Their love for each other was a solid bet.

It was almost impossible for Yu to resist the urge to propose to Yosuke right on the spot.

Instead, he distracted himself by taking a seat on the sofa and reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. For at least the hundredth time that day, he opened his email app checked their upcoming restaurant reservations for the weekend. Just like all the other times, the same date and time appeared before his eyes, complete with a crisp serif font.

He took a deep breath and reminded himself to be patient. Despite his excitement, he didn’t want to rush into it. Yosuke deserved the best proposal he could pull off, and Yu wanted to take his time and make sure everything went perfectly. Although he knew he needed to steel himself and wait, he still felt his heart pound against his ribcage.

The fated day was so close, and yet so far away.

* * *

Yu knew the engagement ring didn’t technically weigh much.

When he’d purchased the gold and yellow topaz ring it in the store and felt the weight of the box in his hand, he’d felt the standard heaviness in his palm. The mass of the ring, including its slightly heftier velvet box, didn’t weigh a pound more or less than usual. In fact, such a feat was scientifically implausible by every stretch of measurement, and the logical side of Yu’s brain was acutely aware of that.

Now, as he waited for Yosuke’s arrival at the restaurant from work, the simple gold band suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. It was as if a ship’s anchor was buried in the pocket of his suit.

He wasn’t sure why he was suddenly so nervous. The man could fathom why he was practically bouncing on his heels in excitement, perhaps borderline anxiety, for the evening that was before him. After all, Yu had planned his proposal for weeks. Multiple hours of precise planning and shopping had all led up to their next date together.

However, the nervousness was new. It was probably just adrenaline blending into the myriad of other emotions he felt, but it was unsettling enough to prompt him to run through the series of events he had planned for the magazine.

First, they were going to go out to dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in the city. Yosuke had mentioned wanting to eat there before because of how well-known the place was for its Western cuisine, and Yu had booked them a table over a month in advance.

Despite the long-term reservation, Yu decided to surprise Yosuke with the reservations the night prior after a particularly long session between the bedsheets. The plan worked so well that he thanked Yu with another long, passionate kiss that spiraled into another bout of lovemaking so intense that even Yu had overslept for work the next day and arrived at work smelling of spicy orange cologne he didn’t usually wear.

So, yeah…Yosuke had taken that part of the plan exceptionally well.

After they finished their meal, the next part of the plan was for them to saunter over to Tokyo Tower to check out the holiday lights. With how early the sun set in the winter months, it was easy to catch a glimpse of how the festive display decorated the entire city in a sea of stars, but without getting stuck in rush-hour tourist times.

Plus, even though the holidays were over, many of the more generic decorations were wintery enough that the city opted to leave them up well into the season. Otherwise, the leafless landscape had a tendency to look far too solemn and barren.

Sometimes, the lights and other glittering displays stayed up as late as Valentine’s Day, or even White Day depending on how low the temperatures sank and how much snow remained on the ground.

Despite the plan to walk around the structure and sightsee, but he didn’t plan to actually propose in such a touristy spot.

Yu knew he didn’t want to propose in public. Such a stunt didn’t suit them, both as individuals and as a couple, in his opinion. Plus, the last thing he wanted to do was make Yosuke feel uncomfortable or pressured into agreeing to something he didn’t truly want.

Instead, he would wait until they’d meandered to a quiet area where all the crowds had petered out. He thought that the nearby park’s fountain, where Yosuke sometimes played guitar on weekends, would work.

Then, when the moment felt right, he would finally pop the long-awaited question.

The mere thought made Yu bit the inside of his cheek to funnel another surge of anxiety.

It was just a four-word inquiry, but it felt like so much more. It was more than just a question. It was a confession. A confession of the highest degree.

Yu’s uncle, Dojima, had even helped with brainstorming the occasion a few months prior. The older man confided in his nephew about his own experience with proposing to his late wife, and readily admitted the heaviness of the seemingly simple question. He told Yu it felt akin to asking her to sit beside him on a bus for the rest of their lives, riding out the good and bad times together.

Yu had scoffed at the silly comparison at the time, but as the fated evening continued to drift closer, he'd suddenly realized how accurate the comparison felt.

While he’d told Yosuke about his true feelings of love long ago after they’d first started dating, a marriage proposal was indubitably different. It was the realization of a powerful, lifelong bond. It was a request for permission to spend the rest of their lives with them, and to become a lifelong partner in every aspect of life.

Yu was petrified and excited all at once. While his stoic face would never show such duality so candidly, both emotions were warring viciously inside of him for dominance.

Then, when he heard rushed footsteps and looked up to see Yosuke emerging hurriedly from a nearby cab and jogging toward him, everything else seemed to completely fade around him. All the heavy feelings of worry and concern fell away, disregarded and forgotten like unnecessary baggage.

Yu watched with a half-smile as his boyfriend paid clumsily for the cab, thanked the cranky driver at least twenty more times, and then closed the distance between them with a long-legged strut.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Yosuke floundered as he trotted anxiously to join Yu at the entrance of the restaurant. “I got held up at work! I was almost out freakin’ the door when one of the sales reps pulled me aside with this database problem and…ugh, never mind all that. I’m just sorry for being late. I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

Yu smiled gently and extended a hand to affectionally smooth Yosuke’s hair, which had apparently bristled in his rush to arrive on time between work and the restaurant.

“Relax,” Yu reassured with his usual calmness before brandishing his phone. “You’re actually a few minutes early. See?”

The phone’s screen, which showed a picture of Yosuke snoozing beneath an especially large blanket with his cheek smooshed against a huge velvet pillow, glowed with the time displayed at the top in a crisp digital font. They still had about fifteen minutes before they had to make their reservation.

While Yosuke noted the time with a great amount of relief, he was less pleased by the photo of him the glowed annoyingly bright before his eyes.

“Dude, you still have that as your lock screen?” Yosuke groaned as he straightened his back, which had been slightly hunched over from exhaustion, and peered at Yu with tired eyes. “Okay, that settles it. We’re taking a better picture tonight when I actually look nice, and you’re swapping that one out!”

“But you always look nice,” Yu said, pouting in mock-sadness at his boyfriend’s display of disdain. Then again, Yu also didn’t reject Yosuke’s suggestion. After all, if everything went well, he hoped they would be taking plenty of pictures together later in the evening.

“Feel free to enact revenge by ordering anything you want,” Yu offered as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “It’s my treat.”

He wasn’t sure what it was, but something about the statement caused his boyfriend to clearly pause. Yosuke leaned back and studied Yu for a moment as if evaluating him.

The lingering stare made Yu feel a sudden twinge of panic. He suddenly feared that, somehow or in some way, he’d given away crucial details or made his intentions for the evening far too obvious.

Even if he’d been slick in keeping his plans as vague and inconspicuous as possible, Yosuke wasn’t dumb. In fact, next to their mutual friend Naoto, Yosuke probably had the most impressive deductive mindset of anyone from their high school Investigation Team.

Then again, making reservations to a notoriously expensive restaurant seemingly out-of-the-blue with a serious romantic partner wasn’t exactly a casual activity. Such extravagance often boded as the precursor to a larger event. It was the rising action before a climax. They’d already confessed to each other, and the couple didn’t have any winter anniversaries or birthdays, so the inspirations behind Yu’s motive were few and far between.

Hell, Yu wouldn’t have been surprised if Yosuke already suspected something.

Then again, Yu supposed if that was true, it was as much of a pro as it was a con.

If Yosuke was anticipating some kind of proposal, he wasn’t showing any unease. He wasn’t running for the hills or stuttering every other word, which is what Yu usually observed when his boyfriend was being squeezed too hard by the invisible tendrils of anxiety.

If Yosuke was suspicious of him, he wasn’t showing fear or apprehension. For Yu, it was a small but incredibly reassuring realization the vanquished the sudden flame of apprehension he’d felt flicker a little too hotly in his chest.

“Well, if you insist,” Yosuke finally said. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked broadly. “In that case, I’m ordering the biggest pizza they have here.”

Yu blinked in sheer amusement.

“Why pizza?” he asked curiously as he walked toward the gilded door and grabbed the handle. As he held the door open, Yosuke strolled through merrily before taking Yu’s hand and pulling him along.

“Because I've been craving it for days, man,” Yosuke said while tossing his partner a wink. “You made that pizza a few nights ago for dinner, and it was so good! I want to see how the 'best pizza in the city' compares!”

“Is that what this place is famous for?” Yu asked with false innocence. Of course, he already knew the answer.

“You bet!” Yosuke enthused. Then, the obvious sparkle in his eyes dulled to a light blaze as he turned to glimpse Yu’s face against the backdrop the Tokyo skyline. “Then again, it still probably won’t be as good as yours.”

Beside himself, Yu smiled at the compliment. “So, in a way, you’re actually testing a theory.”

“I know, I’m such a workaholic,” Yosuke moaned in over-exaggerated exhaustion. He lifted an arm so the back of his hand could rest against his temple, mimicking an old-fashioned belle on the verge of collapse. “However, I shall step up in the name of science!”

Yu laughed this time, not bothering to ever try and stifle the obvious display of mirth.

“You know what?” Yu said, giving him a challenging stare. “Go for it.”

As they walked through the restaurant doors, one of Yu’s hand slowly moved down Yosuke’s spine to rest on the small of his back. As he guided him through the tall glass door, the little touch elicited a flickering stare from Yosuke. Their eyes reconnected for only a second before they leaned in and shared a chaste kiss under against the glow of candlelight.

“Ready?” Yosuke asked with a confident, borderline cocky smile.

“…Ready as I’ll ever be,” Yu confirmed with a nod. Deep inside his heart, Izanagi’s presence rumbled in agreement.

A nondescript emotion leaped between them like an arc of electric energy.

Without the need for words to communicate the bond they felt deep in their hearts, they interlaced their fingers and continued forward into the restaurant.

Upon entering the establishment, the couple had to pause a moment to give their eyes a moment to adjust to the dark setting. In some ways, it was even darker inside than it was outside. The restaurant’s lights were exceptionally dim, making even the red-satin walls and gilded décor look demure beneath the thick shroud of darkness. The effect was definitely intimate, if not slightly heavy-handed.

As they approached the attendee in the main lobby, the young employee noted their table on a chart with ease. They grabbed an armful of thick menus and allowed the couple to follow them closely behind while they navigated the dark interior. Both Yu and Yosuke were exceptionally thankfully for that, especially since the restaurant was so large and unfamiliar.

Both men could only imagine that the employee’s grace came from the fact that they navigated the dark restaurant multiple times a night.

As they neared one of the lower levels, the employee navigated a sudden step with ease. Yosuke noticed the sudden drop and made sure to grab his boyfriend’s hand and pull him to a premature stop.

“Woah, watch your step,” Yosuke cautioned. He offered Yu a supportive hand after he’d successfully descended onto to the step below.

“Thanks, Yosuke,” Yu said, truly thankful for his partner’s faultless grace. The last thing he needed to kick off the romantic evening was for him to fall on his face.

“Thank goodness neither of us wore heels tonight, huh?” Yosuke teased with a wink, causing Yu to bite his lip. The two bumped shoulders in the darkness, continuing to follow the employee closely as they weaved through the sparsely lit interior. The two kept their fingers interlaced along the way for good measure.

The rest of the route to their table was smooth. After a few more moments of walking, they arrived at their candlelit table located in a more secluded back room of the restaurant. The placement definitely explained the somewhat elongated walk it took to arrive there. Regardless, the two wasted no time claiming their respective seats across from each other.

“I’ll give you both a few moments to decide,” the waiter said as they passed both men menus and wine lists.

“Oh, I already know what I want,” Yosuke said merrily as he proceeded described his amazingly ornate pizza order to their waiter. The task took almost a full minute.

Once the employee finished scribbling the order and had partially recovered from the barrage of requested pizza toppings, they slowly turned to Yu. “And…for you, sir?”

Yu ordered a more basic lobster dish, which took all of five seconds compared to Yosuke’s order. He also ordered a white wine, which he thought would pair nicely with both dishes. It also helped that Yosuke’s pizza probably included every item except the kitchen sink, so it was a decent bet that it would pair decently with any wine or liqueur they chose. Besides, neither Yu or Yosuke were expert sommeliers, so if the blend was pleasant-tasting overall, factors like its year and notes didn’t matter much.

The waiter gave Yu a thankful nod and slid both menus back under their arm before vanishing into the darkness with a quick bow. Yu wanted desperately to be a fly on the wall where the waiter had to return to the kitchen with such a massive pizza order.

The wine was delivered to their table a few moments later. As the two sipped lightly at their glasses, they filled the rest of the time with leisurely chatter. While Yu and Yosuke rarely spent a second apart when they both arrived home after work, it was a special occasion that they had dedicated time to talk without any other distractions. Usually, at the end of the day, they would talk with each other while cleaning, or while cooking dinner. Sometimes they chatted in bed before falling asleep, but as adults with busy careers, they almost always ended up passing out from exhaustion before any deeper discussion could ensue.

The two enjoyed having a specific timeslot to catch up and chat leisurely. They talked about everything from the incredibly impressive restaurant décor (“Dude, we should put more gold in our house,”) to some of the shelters they had looked at adopting a cat from (“Kittens are cute, but I like the idea of adopting an older cat,”) and many more.  

It was so pleasant that Yu decided, at that moment, they should try to schedule more time to date each other and chat more often. It reminded him of how he and Yosuke used to spend their days after school, pleasantly chatting about any topic of discussion that naturally bubbled to the surface. It was a nostalgic feeling.

The two barely even noticed the downtime between getting their table and receiving their orders. However, when the food was delivered, Yu almost choked on his wine at the sight of the order.

 “… _Yosuke_ ,” Yu asked, eyes widening at the sight before him. “What…is that?”

The sheer array of flavors and toppings on top of the pizza’s moderate circumference gave Yu flashbacks to conquering the Mega Beef Bowl challenge at Aiya’s back in Inaba. While the actual dish wasn’t that big in terms of width, it was certainly dense.

“This, partner, is the self-proclaimed ‘Best Pizza in Tokyo’,” Yosuke responded with a grin. “Well, supposedly. I’m about to put it to the true test.”

“…What the heck is on it?” Yu inquired, still in partial shock. There were so many elements to the dish that even a homebody chef like him had a hard time making heard or tails of any of the possible ingredients. The surface was like an abstract art piece of different textures and colors.

“It has every topping they offer,” Yosuke said with astounding plainness as he cut into the intimidating dish. “I wasn’t sure which one I wanted, so I ordered them all. There’s black truffles, caviar, basil, salmon…”

The odd mixture of different ingredients gave Yu even more terrifying flashbacks of his various encounters with Mystery Food X. A shiver immediately down his spine at the bitter memories.

“ _Wow_ ,” Yu said. For a few moments, he was truly at a loss for words. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or intimidated. I think this restaurant may have bested me, Yosuke.”

“Hey now, I’ll be the judge of that,” Yosuke challenged as he heaved a slice to his mouth and began to chomp away at the large slab. With just one bite, he moaned in delight and sang enthusiastic praises of the multiple flavors. It was an adorable sight.

“Okay, it’s a _close_ second, but it’s still not as good as yours,” Yosuke decided, which caused Yu to roll his eyes in response. Despite his obvious teasing, he ultimately heaved a sigh of relief that the restaurant seemed to be living up to its reputation and, more importantly, that Yosuke was evidently enjoying himself as well. That was the most important thing.

“Just don’t stuff yourself,” Yu laughed as he went to elegantly cut into his own entrée. “You don’t want to be uncomfortable the rest of the evening.”

Yosuke somehow managed to eat the entire pizza almost completely by himself. The only help came from the bites he insisted that Yu take along the way. Although he’d been hesitant at first, the blend was oddly delicious despite the wide pool of tastes and flavors. In response, he also fed Yosuke some of his lobster dish as well. Yosuke accepted each savory bite with indiscriminating enthusiasm, much to Yu’s disbelief.

Of all the things that hadn’t changed since their high school days, Yosuke’s supermodel-level metabolism appeared to be one of them.

As their plates were cleaned and their wine glasses drained, Yu promptly paid for the meal the instant that the bill was delivered to the table. Both were far too full of food and wine to even consider dessert, and subsequently decided it would be more merciful on their stomachs if they just grabbed something later in the evening if they were truly craving something sweet.

“That was one hell of a treat, partner,” Yosuke said as the waiter took the debit card away. “Seriously, thank you so much. This was literally perfect.”

His heart swelled at the sentiment.

“You’re more than welcome,” Yu said with a light chuckle. “I figured we’ve both been working hard, and we deserve a nice evening out together. Besides, you just switched jobs, and I can see how busy you’ve been with getting settled down.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Yosuke agreed, taking a moment to lean back in his chair contemplatively. “We’re both always so busy with work. Honestly, Yu…I never thought I’d go into PR, but it really nice. I get to work with people that I wish would have helped me when I was younger. It’s nice, but man…it’s exhausting.”

“You should take more breaks,” Yu noted. “I worry about you. I’m happy you’re successful, but I don’t want you to burn out from all the stress.”

“Says the workaholic lawyer,” Yosuke replied with an impish grin. “When was the last time you actually left the firm at 5 p.m.?”

“…Touché,” Yu conceded. The man knew he was perfectly incapable of arguing that he often stayed after hours on weeknights to finish paperwork or clear out his inbox of emails before choosing to head home. If there was anything Yu Narukami disliked, it was work interfering with personal time. He tried to wrap up every loose end he could before departing from the office every night.

“Hey, next time, I’m going to pop for the check,” Yosuke promised sincerely. “Start thinking of your perfect date night, partner! I want to make it as awesome as this one was! You deserve it.”

Yu couldn’t suppress the hopeful smile he felt blooming on his cheek. 

“Sure,” he replied with a soft grin. “I’ll start thinking about it.”

When Yu laid down the cash for a generous tip, Yosuke even offered to pop some additional bills on top of the existing tip due to how huge his specific order was.

“Besides, we both worked in the service industry as teenagers,” Yosuke reminisced as he laid the extra bill down.

Yu didn’t argue, of course. In fact, it only served as another reminder of all he and Yosuke had been through together, even years later.

The two stood up from their chairs and exited the restaurant arm-in-arm. By that point, both their eyes had adjusted to the dark interior, so it was much easier to navigate their way through the sprawling web of tables and askew chairs.

When they made it outside, the night air was refreshingly cold instead of bone-chillingly icy like it had been days prior. Besides, with their bodies so close due to their link arms, the combined heat was suppressing any shivers of discomfort from the winter air.

“Hey, do you feel like taking a walk?” Yu asked as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

“Actually, that sounds awesome,” Yosuke agreed, tucking his body closer to his boyfriend's slightly taller frame.

Thankfully, because Yu’s free hand was stuffed in his pocket and palming the ring box, Yosuke didn’t feel the outline when he brushed against him.

Yosuke went on to say, “I’m so full from dinner, I think it would be awesome to stretch and exercise a little of it off. Plus, it’s not nearly as cold as it was earlier this week. We should try to enjoy it while we can, right?”

With those words, all the nights Yu had spent obsessively checking the weather to arrange their date night during a break in the cold fronts all paid off immediately. 

“Want to walk over by Tokyo Tower?” Yu asked. “They still have a lot of their lights up nearby. I only caught a glimpse a few nights ago when I was walking back from work, but it looked really pretty.”

“Oh, nice idea!” Yosuke agreed, tightening his grip out of sheer excitement. “Man, I haven’t been over there during the nighttime in forever, and it’s only a couple blocks away too.”

“Then it’s settled.”

The two kept their arms twined together and started off toward the impressive, glittering monument.

Due to the sudden break in miserably cold weather, the city was slightly more lively than usual. Other couples walked arm in arm through the snow-dusted streets, and groups of teenagers huddled together in trendy hang-out spots. It was a nostalgic sight to see.

After an uneventful saunter through the typical neon-lit avenues that they traversed every day, the two eventually arrived at a familiar greenway near the tower grounds. The small park was the perfect distance from the grandiose monument that they were still close enough to enjoy the structure up close, but they didn’t have to deal with packs of tourists or other onlookers.

Just as Yu thought, the greenspace was only sparsely populated with a few walkers and pedestrians. As they pressed onward further into one of the more natural areas of the park, they were eventually completely alone together amongst the trees.

They reached an ornate fountain located in the center of the space. The feature was lit with colored lights and, although the water was turned off during the winter season, the feature still glowed impressively bright against the organic backdrop of local trees and foliage. In place of leaves, the trees were instead stung with delicate light strands that created a spiraling path through the natural scenery.

“Woah, this part is totally secluded,” Yosuke observed in amazement as they continued to walk, leaves crunching beneath their shoes with each step along the cobblestone pathway. By the time they reached the overlook, a crystal-clear view of the cityscape awaited them. A rainbow haze of lights seemed to stretch out into infinity against the star-spattered heavens. The intrusive honking of car horns and pedestrian chatter was long-forgotten as they both stared out over Tokyo.

It was the same city where they’d both been born and lived as kids, never knowing or meeting each other amidst the bustling streets and alleys. It was theoretically possible they’d even walked past each other long before they’d ever met, which ironically, hadn’t happened until they’d both been pulled into the same countryside town by circumstances completely out of either one’s control.

Then, despite leaving, they’d both found their way back to Tokyo again. Together.

Yu’s fist tightened slightly around the ring box in his pocket.

“The view is perfect, isn’t it?” Yu said as a crisp breeze ruffled his silver bangs against his brow. “It kind of reminds me of that time we met at that overlook in Inaba and tried to find each other’s houses.”

Yosuke let out a laugh as he leaned his head on Yu’s shoulder. “Yeah, that might be a little difficult to do now.”

“We’d be here all night,” Yu agreed, leaning snugly against Yosuke, who always seemed to run a few degrees warmer than him when it came to natural body heat. It really was as if he was a natural form of sunshine.

“I remember that day,” Yosuke added, sighing contently as their bodies leaned together. “I told you for the first time that you were special to me. Man, I remember feeling like an idiot. There was so much more that I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know what the hell to say.”

“Really?” Yu asked, lifting a brow. He received a soft nod in return.

“Next time we go back, I’ll tell you what I really wanted to say,” Yosuke replied, turning his head to press a soft kiss to Yu’s cheek.

“I’d like that,” Yu added, then more softly, “I’d love to go back to Inaba with you. Actually, I’d like to continue the tradition and come back here as often as possible too. I want to go everywhere with you, Yosuke.”

It was time.

“Dude, what the heck are you…” Yosuke started to ask as she slowly moved his gaze from the horizon to glimpse at Yu’s face. Then, his expression changed to reflect even more palpable confusion as Yu gently stole his arm from Yosuke’s grip and took a half-step backward to put a little distance between them.

“Partner?” he asked again, his voice dipping with evident concern. At first, he thought something was wrong with his boyfriend, and was immediately responsive to the sudden change in mood and demeanor.

Then, the epiphany struck him.

When Yu started to sink onto one knee, Yosuke squeaked and spun his body to immediately face his partner’s as he watched him sink slowly to the ground.

“Holy shit, no way,” he gasped, face flushing instantly. A wide, overjoyed smile began to spread across Yosuke’s visage. “No effin’ way.”

 _“As eloquent as ever,”_ Yu thought fondly as some of the tension he felt began to ebb thanks to Yosuke’s enthusiastic reaction.  While someone else might have not been able to decipher and concrete emotion from Yosuke’s expressive rambling, Yu knew immediately what his partner was feeling.

It gave him the last push of courage he needed to press onward.

“Yosuke, you’ve already been my partner and best friend for so long,” Yu started, practically breathless from the tension. “Now, will you do me the honor of being my husband too?”

Barely a second passed before Yosuke practically yelled his answer loud enough for the entire city of Toyo to hear.

“ _Yes!_ ” he declared. His strident voice pierced the night air like a dagger. “I mean…hell yes!”

Emotion instantly welled up in Yu’s eyes. “You mean it?”

“Of course!” Yosuke added loudly. Then, voice breaking a bit, his hand flew to his flushed face and he added more sheepishly, “Yes, partner, I want to marry you. I…I…”

Slowly, Yu gestured for Yosuke’s hand, which he provided instantly. He peeled the leather glove away and slowly slid the ring onto Yosuke’s bare finger. Just as he hoped, the fit was perfect.

Tears of happiness prickled his gaze, and Yu felt his own vision start to go misty at the endearing sight. Guided by instinct, he gently shifted the now empty ring box so he could palm it with one hand and held his other arm open. It created the perfect slot for Yosuke sink onto his knees and fall into his open embrace.

Yosuke obliged immediately and threw her arms around his partner with strength that almost knocked him to the ground.

Sniffling audibly, he pressed his blushing face in the sliver of space between the column of Yu’s neck and the expanse of his chest. Yu reciprocated by letting his forehead fall against the shoulder of Yosuke’s coat as he heaved a loud sigh of reprieve. He wrapped his arm around Yosuke’s torso, his flattened palm pressing down and running up and down his spine in a soothing, predictable rhythm.

The effect on both theirs Personas was just as prompt. Izanagi’s pride thundered victoriously, and Susano-o howled in unabashed delight. The two responses mingled seamlessly in a corporeal camaraderie on a level of intimacy that only Yu and Yosuke would ever be able to experience together.

They could feel the joyous roar of each other’s hearts and souls as they continued to linger in their embrace.

 “Partner…” Yosuke laughed, sounding giddy as he turned his head to pepper Yu’s face with at least a hundred butterfly kisses. “I can’t believe it…I don’t even know what to say.”

“Were you surprised?” Yu asked, continuing to rub the planes of Yosuke’s back soothingly.  

“Um, yeah, totally!” Yosuke verified quickly. “I thought about it a couple times, but you know what? I pushed it aside because I thought I was being crazy!”

“I tried to not make it too obvious,” Yu laughed. “I’m happy I surprised you, but I’m glad to hear it was kind of on your mind too.”

“No kidding,” Yosuke replied, nuzzling further into the soft embrace. It was a welcome change from the wintery zephyr that circled around them. “There are…an embarrassing amount of ring designs in my search history. You’ll have to act surprised when I show you.”

The comment left Yu somewhat speechless. “Wait. Are you serious, Yosuke?”

“Believe it or not, I am,” Yosuke nodded, sitting back a little bit so he could meet Yu’s curious gaze with his own. “Great minds must think alike.”

“No kidding,” Yu parroted, the words turning to puffs in the frigid air before drifting toward the heavens. “I’m…just so happy you said yes. Happy and unbelievably relieved.”

The statement caused Yosuke to snap his head back in disbelief.  “Wait, did you seriously think I’d say no?”

“I, um…I actually don’t know what I thought,” Yu admitted with a hesitant stutter. Then, he shook his head and rephrased his comment in an attempt to form the artful response he thought his partner deserved. “Honestly, I don’t even know if I can think right now. My mind is racing, but…”

“Yeah?” Yosuke asked, tilting his head lightly. It was a silent prompt for Yu to take his time and finish his thoughts, whatever they were. Yosuke wasn’t going anywhere. “But what?”

Yosuke’s ungloved hand lifted to graze Yu’s cheek, the tips of his fingers tracing the very slopes and planes his hands were so accustomed to stroking. Yu’s eyes were shimmered like stars as he leaned into the touch like a freezing man starving for flames to lick his skin.

“I…I don’t think I’ve ever been happier,” he finally admitted, biting his bottom lip lightly at the cliché confession. “I love you so much, Yosuke. I love you, partner.”

If a cherub’s arrow had pierced Yosuke’s heart at that instant, but it wouldn’t have been even close to the first time in his life that he was completely lovestruck by Yu Narukami.

“Jeez, Yu…” Yosuke cooed, thumb stroking the velvety skin of his jaw. “You’re killing me here. Are you trying to make my chest explode?”

Yu’s steely eyes upturned lightly at the exaggerated sentiment.

“But…I love you too,” Yosuke added, voice suddenly deepening in seriousness. He inched closer so he could whisper in his ear, “More than anyone else. You never had to worry about me saying no, and yet, you put together this whole evening. Seriously, this has been an amazing day…thank you.”

The two shared yet another thought as they leaned forward simultaneously, heads angling perfectly so they could slide their jaws together and share a loving kiss.

There, they remained entwined in each other’s arms, locked in an embrace so powerful that even the steadily dropping temperature wasn’t enough to drive the couple apart for at least a couple more minutes.

* * *

 It had been a fairly uneventful morning at the jewelry store. The small boutique had only been open a couple of hours, but neither of the suited doormen had to open the doors for a single client since the first employees had arrived to begin their shifts.

At least the lull in activity gave the employees, including a young saleswoman named Saki, plenty of time to tend to the inventory and rearrange the cases as needed.

It wasn’t until an hour before her lunch break that the bell finally rang, signaling the arrival of the first customers of the day.

“Welcome!” Saki called from her position on the back of the store. As soon as she finished methodically arranging the store newest pink sapphire collection, just in time for Valentine’s Day in a few months, she swiveled her head to greet the incoming shoppers with her usual charisma.

Instead of a generic client, the young woman was greeted with a familiar face…and a new face as well.

“Well, hello there,” Saki teased as she traipsed toward the duo. Her glossed lips formed a catlike smirk. “Hey. I thought I warned you about coming back here, Yu.”

“Hello Saki,” Yu laughed, bowing his head with his signature decorum. Standing next to him, the unnamed man’s expression showed a flicker of emotion that Saki couldn’t decipher, but it didn’t linger long enough for her to ask why.

Yu continued, “Sorry for coming back, but I didn’t come alone. Actually, we’re kind of here on business.”

She didn’t need to look at the couple long enough to know exactly what Yu meant.

Saki only had to flash a quick glance downward to their linked hands, the familiar gold and yellow topaz band beaming back at her, before breaking out in a peal of joyful laughter.

“So, you two,” she began, leaning forward and folding her arms against the top of the case, “Let me take a wild guess how the proposal went.”


	2. All the time in the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu and Yosuke tie the knot and spend their wedding night together.

They were engaged.

Like, actually engaged. With rings and everything. The whole romantic shebang.

Yosuke spent the days following the proposal in a half-daze, staring at the new ring on his finger and getting used to the feel of the light but unusual added weight. Between bouts of disbelief, he shopped around for bands that would be as perfect as what his fiancé, Yu, deserved.

It was an arduous search. Yosuke had thought he’d perfectly nailed the cut and style that he wanted to gift his husband-to-be, but after seeing the dazzling look in Yu’s eyes when he’d agreed to the proposal, everything seemed to pale in comparison. How the hell was he supposed to follow that up?

He’d even followed Yu into the same jewelry store where he’d purchased his wedding band. It had been an interesting visit, to say the least, but the girl who’d helped him navigate the plethora of shiny options was both patient and amicable.

By the end of the visit, he’d sent Yu off on a bogus errand and purchased a silver band with a small, starburst-cut diamond. The stone’s cut combined with its luster reminded him of a flash of lightning. It was beautiful, yet subtle with undeniable sophistication.

In short, Yu in a nutshell.

“Thank you, um, Saki…” Yosuke said slowly, letting every word sink in as he reached over the register and took the velvet box from her slightly smaller hand. “For everything.”

None the wiser, Saki smiled and offered him a little wave. “No problem! I expect to see my invitation in the mail soon.”

“You bet,” Yosuke said, and he meant it.

Once the rings were settled, then there was the matter of determining the venue.

It took both men less than five minutes to decide on Inaba as the perfect destination for their union. In reality, there was no other place it could have been. It was the town where they’d first met and grown close. It had served as a literal backdrop for a significant portion of their relationship. Their love had blossomed there, much like the cherry trees did every year.

After minimal deliberation, the two made a decision that was as unanimous as it was inevitable.

The duo put in a call to their good friend, Yukiko Amagi. It was easy to dial her number since it hadn’t changed since their days in high school. Same cell phone, same local landline. She still worked at her family’s business, appropriately named the Amagi Inn, and had since taken on significantly more responsibilities since her second year in high school. The young woman practically ran the establishment nowadays.

So, when an unfamiliar voice answered the inn’s phone, they respectfully asked to speak with Yukiko specifically.

After all, she’d be the best person to speak to about reserving the inn as the venue for their upcoming ceremony.

* * *

 The two city boys never thought they would be getting married in the small, countryside town of Inaba.

Yet, both felt like it was the most appropriate place to tie the knot. Inaba might have been small compared to cities like Tokyo or Shibuya, but it was perfect for them. There were so many memories embedded in practically every inch of the town. Every nook and cranny of Inaba was special to Yu and Yosuke. There wasn’t a single destination that didn’t hold memories from their old days as the Investigation Team. The restaurants and shops contained good memories of food and friends. The old television antennas around the city brought up bad memories of loss and loneliness.

However, it was the city where they’d first met.

It was the place where they’d saved the world from imminent destruction.

It was the city where they’d fallen in love.

Even though they’d gone to college in Tokyo and had their first kiss in their apartment, the couple always thought of Inaba as the true birthplace of their impenetrable bond.

There was no other place where they’d rather get married.

When Yu and Yosuke had broken the news of their engagement to their tight-knit groups, the response from the rest of the Investigation Team had been both universal and instantaneous:

_“Leave it to us!”_

While Yu and Yosuke worked things out and handled various tasks on their end in Tokyo, those remaining in Inaba got right to work on some early preparations.

Yukiko worked with her family to reserve almost the entire Amagi Inn and hot springs for the reception and after-party. While Yu insisted multiple times that it wasn’t necessary for Yukiko to set aside the entire building for their ceremony, she paid him no mind and went ahead with her plan to make sure the inn would be as vacant as possible to accommodate the wedding and reception. She also reserved a room for the happy couple as well as accommodations for any other guests that would need to sleep off their adrenaline and boozy lightheadedness following the celebration. The result left only a handful of rooms booked by other guests unrelated to the wedding. She contacted the other guests to let them know about the event as a courtesy, but not a single one changed their reservation or seemed bothered by the news.

As usual, everything Yukiko promised to address was handled with poise and grace.

Although she told Yu it might be possible to even reserve a few extra event rooms in case he had guests that would be coming in late that needed emergency accommodations, Yu politely told her that wasn’t a concern. He already knew his parents were too busy to attend the informal, countryside engagement.

While Chie was undergoing a stringent training schedule to prepare her for her career in law enforcement, she still found a way to work nights at the Amagi Inn. She helped Yukiko prepare the rooms and assist with orders for flowers, meal ingredients, and other items. The two worked long hours to make the venue as perfect as possible.

The two also swore their efforts to secrecy, knowing full-well Yu and Yosuke would have been horrified to find out how much sleep they’d missed for them.

Rise devoted plenty of resources to the collective endeavor. Thanks to her countless gigs and plentiful sponsorships, she was able to use her business sense and skills as a charismatic idol to make sure her beloved  _senpais_  had the best food, flowers, and everything else in-between. She even worked personally to help secure live music for the event. It wasn’t an A-list DJ, but the idol figured that Yu and Yosuke wouldn’t want over-the-top entertainment anyway. Instead, she called in a few favors and got a jazz quartet she knew the two enjoyed. It was just an extra touch of sophistication that would help entertain guests while keeping yet another task off the busy couple’s plate, which was the most important thing.

Teddie, Naoto, and Kanji met up to decorate the inn. While Naoto’s reputation as one of the best detectives in the region was growing day by day, she didn’t let her notoriety stop her from returning to Inaba to assist with preparations for two of her best friends’ wedding. Teddie was also more than willing to offer a helping hand. While they both helped allocate resources and decide where the best places to purchase materials would be, Kanji served as the main interior decorator on the job.

While his career as a decorator was still young, he was incredibly versed in the realm of textiles and aesthetics. With a keen eye and professional guidance, he added festive touches to the inn’s already impeccable décor.

Under his careful watch, there wasn’t an untied balloon or a loose tablecloth in sight. No ivory placemats were mismatched with eggshell ones under his watchful eye. Kanji wasn’t about to let any other so-called ‘imperfections’ tarnish the couple's special day together.

Naoto helped Kanji closely while Teddie, with boundless energy that didn’t always led itself helpfully to detail-oriented tasks, mostly handled decorating the outside of the inn. Blooming cherry trees were strung with lanterns and tables were decorated with blush-colored accents. He also took initiative in crafting the wedding invitations, which featured surprisingly tasteful calligraphy and only a few cutesy touches in the form of musical notes and doodled cat heads.

Even other residents of Inaba volunteered to step up. Upon receiving her invitation in the mail, Ai asked Yu the next day if he or Yosuke had decided on a dress code for the occasion. When they replied that there wasn’t code aside from what each guest could afford, Ai sent a box of matching ties and corsages for guests to wear, completely free of charge.

Kou and Daisuke weren’t slouches either when it came to stepping up. The dynamic duo volunteered to help wedding guests unload bags at the inn and even carry them to the rooms. Due to limited parking, they even served as a free valet service from the train station or bus depots when necessary.

By the time Yu and Yosuke arrived back in Inaba a few days before the scheduled ceremony, they were shocked beyond words to find that everything else they’d previously added to their to-do list was already accomplished. Not just accomplished, but fully realized with flying colors and precise attention to detail the couple would have never been able to do themselves with so much already on their shared plate (including wedding cake sampling, go figure.)

The sight of all their friends waiting to surprise them at the train station rendered them both speechless.

Then, upon being escorted to the Amagi Inn to glimpse the decorations for the first time, the group joined in a massive group hug that resulted in more than few cramps and even more joyful tears.

As predicted, the two were incredibly thankful for their friends' assistance and participation. Even though the set-up had taken the groups weeks to prepare in advance, the whole affair was much more informal than some other wedding ceremonies. That was something the team knew Yu and Yosuke absolutely wanted. 

When the day of the ceremony finally arrived, the entire Investigation Team, including Yu and Yosuke, reformed in the inn’s lobby at four o’clock in the morning and immediately went to work. Suits were pressed, tulle was fluffed, candles were lit, violin strings were slicked with resin, and simple food was prepared.

It wasn’t long before the hustle and bustle lured guests from their rooms and down to the ceremony in the inn’s courtyard.

Yosuke’s parents were obviously in attendance, but Yu’s were nowhere to be found. They had told their son they couldn’t get back from their business trip soon enough to attend the event, but they promised to send some presents. Yu and Yosuke hadn’t registered for any gifts, but he knew they’d send lovely and useful things anyway. For that, he was appreciative and made sure to call them early in the morning and sincerely thank them. Yu was disappointed but not surprised by their lack of attendance. He’d grown quite used to it.

Instead, Dojima and Nanako willingly attended the small event. Nanako dressed in her best outfit and, possibly for the first time in his entire career, Dojima explicitly requested an entire weekday off and even left his cell phone back at the house.

The hard-boiled detective wasn’t about to let any task pull him away from nephew’s wedding. To him, it almost felt as if his own son was getting married…but he’d never have the gall to say such a presumptuous thing out loud.

During a quiet lull before the ceremony, the duo found themselves alone for the first time that day. There was a lot Dojima wanted to say the fill the comfortable silence between them, but he had no idea where to start.

As usual, Yu was the one to take initiative.

“Uncle, thank you so much,” Yu repeated to his uncle over and over. “I know you're busy, but I’m so happy you and Nanako are here. It wouldn’t have felt right without you both.”

The emphasis in his remark also didn’t go unnoticed by the keen-minded investigator.

“Why are you thanking me?” he asked with a laugh as he bent down to straighten Yu’s tie. The tiny, awkward angle was driving him crazy for some reason. “Come on. After everything you did for me when you first moved here, I don’t think taking one day to attend your wedding counts as enough payback. I certainly haven’t earned any ‘thanks.’”

Yu’s gaze remained firm as the older man pulled the satin taut, but not too tight, around the proud column of his neck. Yu murmured yet another ‘thank you’ under his breath, which earned him a soft punch to the shoulder. He was as formal as ever.

When he took a step back to admire his handsome nephew, his tired eyes enlarged at the sight. His visage was a picture of such astonishment that Yu actually checked over his shoulder to see if something strange had appeared behind them.

When he looked back and saw nothing, Yu swiveled his eyes back to his uncle’s. Self-doubt began to set in.

“Um, what?” Yu asked, suddenly self-conscious under the usually direct gaze of his uncle. His hands fussed about his light grey suit and hair, which was gelled back to remain out of his eyes for the ceremony.

“Nothing…” Dojima said, shaking his head with a sigh before he looked up again. “You just look...very grown-up, Yu.”

Yu inhaled sharply. His lips parted and his eyes glistened at the comment. If it hadn’t been for the promise he’d made to himself to keep all his tears reserved for his wedding vows, Yu would have teared up at the sentiment.  

As if Dojima’s comment hadn’t been enough strain on Yu’s heartstrings, the sound of Nanako’s voice nearby certainly didn’t help. The girl ran up to her father and cousin dressed in a taffeta dress that was a bright shade of bubblegum pink.

“Big bro, there you are!” she said while bobbing toward them. While she had grown a few years and let her hair become longer with age, she hadn’t lost her sense of childlike whimsy yet.

“Hey, Nanako,” he said fondly. He reached down to tug the finely-tailored fabric around his knees upright so he could bend down comfortably to meet her. “Thank you so much for coming. You look very pretty.”

“Hehe, thank you!” she said, blushing at the comment. Her hands flew to the hem of her dress as she did a flamboyant twirl. Both men clapped at the sight.

She suddenly stopped her performance and assumed a more professional stance. “Hey, big bro? I think the ceremony is going to start soon. They told me to come over here and remind you to get ready.”

It sounded like either Yukiko or Naoto had sent the young girl to fetch him.

With a deep breath, Yu loosened his tense shoulders and nodded in agreement with is petite cousin. “Alright. Sounds good.”

While he was eye-level with Nanako, the girl broke out into a wide grin and leaned over to tug on her father’s sleeve.

When Dojima complied and curiously leaned down at his daughter’s command, she outstretched her arms and pulled both of them into a tight embrace.

“Family group hug!” Nanako sang merrily, burying her face between her beloved dad and her favorite big brother. “Good luck out there, big bro! You and Yosuke are gonna do great!”

Her words were the last straw that made Yu break the promise he’d made to himself.

* * *

 The music began to swell as guests were urged to take their seats in the outdoor garden area beside the inn. The ample vegetation and traditional back-drop of Inaba’s oldest institution made for a picturesque sight that inspired a sense of formality in even the most light-hearted guests. All the visitors were dressed in their finest silks and most tailored cuts. Even Teddie, who had been dancing about and flirting with every female guest, immediately softened his voice and assumed his appropriate position in the ceremony.

All the guests, including the members of the Investigation Team, buzzed to their seats while the procession commenced with the traditional formalities before introducing the engaged couple.

During the announcements, Yosuke and his parents lingered in the staging area inside the inn. The group talked and gushed while waiting for their cue which, in his opinion, couldn’t come soon enough. He legitimately couldn’t wait to finally see his partner again. Only, this time, they’d be life partners bonded by matrimonial law. The mere thought of it was making him tremble in anticipation.

He was so excited that, even with his sharp crisp suit and more matured features since his days as a student in the town, he looked like an excited teenager as he waited with bated breath to enter the ceremony.

“Do you have your vows memorized?” Yosuke’s father asked for what must have been the hundredth time. 

Yosuke chuckled deeply at the question as he made one last adjustment to the corsage that was pinned over his thudding heart.

“I just practiced them a second ago,” he replied for the hundredth time. He tossed his father a smile to let him know he was truly appreciative of his doting inquiries, even if he sounded slightly exasperated. Truthfully, anxiety was sizzling inside his heart alongside all the other emotions that were crashing through him.

It was his wedding day, after all. Such internal turbulence was hardly abnormal.

“Keep the paper in your pants pocket, not your breast pocket!” his father insisted again, not dissuaded by his son’s display of confidence. “It’ll be easier to reach for that way without fumbling. You might know your vows now, but it's a whole different story when you're actually standing at the altar and have to say them out loud. Trust me, son. It sounds silly, but when you’re up at that altar and you’re staring at the person you love, it's like the world goes blank. It's better to be safe than sorry, just in case you get, um... _distracted_."

“Dad, please,” Yosuke laughed, rolling his eyes. The teasing was not doing anything to quell his already frayed nerves. Desperate for an outlet, he began to tap his foot in an erratic rhythm against the history-worn floor.

“I know  _I’d_  forget my vows if I were you,” Yosuke’s mother confessed with a laugh. “Yu is certainly handsome enough to be distracting! I don’t know how you ever got any studying done with him around in high school.”

_“Mom, please.”_

The Hanamuras shared a good laugh as their son helplessly looked between them. Part of him wondered what insane part of him had thought it would be a good idea to keep his parents backstage with him at the wedding. He guessed, most likely, it had been the part that had been insanely sleep-deprived the night before when he'd stayed up with Yu to tie up the rest of the loose ends.

“My goodness, you look so mature,” Yosuke’s mother warbled. She lifted a tissue to her eyes and tried to blot away the tears before they broke down her mascara into a smeary disaster. “You look so grown up! I never thought I’d see the day.”

Yosuke heaved an over-dramatic sigh as he continued to attentively listen to the faint drum of music from outside.

“Um, thanks?” he replied dryly, but not unkindly. He wanted to make sure he heard the moment when he was supposed to officially step out into the ceremony. “That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?”

The reminder from his father about remembering his vows didn’t evade Yosuke. He had, as a matter of fact, tucked the paper safely into his trouser pocket. It never hurt to be safe. As much as he didn’t want to open a can of worms by addressing it, it was fully possible that seeing Yu waiting for him at the altar would make his brain so soft. The idea alone gave him goosebumps.

Just then, an orchestral crescendo reverberated through the building. The sound elicited a nervous shudder out of Yosuke.

It was finally time.

“Ready?” Yosuke’s father asked as he lent his son an elbow.

In response, Yosuke could only draw a shay breath between his teeth. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Yosuke’s mother blotted her tears one last time before shoving the wad of issues into her coat pocket and taking her son's other arm.

Together, the three of them walked out the inn's doors and into the ceremony. 

Upon stepping outside and into the sunlit day, Yosuke could have noticed a multitude of things. He could have noted the cloudless sky or focused on the balmy breeze that carried the thick perfume of the ceremony's hyacinth bouquets across the lawn. With dozens of pairs of eyes on him and his parents, he also could have returned a number of the stares with a couple thankful nods or knowing smiles. The impressive scene before him would have pulled anyone's attention in a thousand different ways a second.

However, the moment he stepped out into the aisle, Yosuke could only focus on one thing.

Or, one person.

Yu Narukami stood a few paces away from him, his trim body dressed in layers of grey and white. The ensemble contrasted only slightly to Yosuke's navy suit and orange tie, which brought out the warm tones in his complexion and eyes.

The couple hadn’t intentionally pursued a cliché “sun and moon” aesthetic, but they’d wandered into it anyway…and Yosuke had to admit he was a fan.

Yu's silver hair was swept back and out of his eyes. The style allowed Yosuke to gaze upon his gently blushing face from across the aisle without any difficulty.

Then, their eyes actually met. Smoke kissed fire.

For a second, a memory flashed in his brain.

He recalled the first time he saw Yu Narukami all the way back in high school. How he’d stood before him, framed by bright light after he’d pulled Yosuke out of a garbage can. He remembered how his expression had been calm yet pinched in slight concern. A half-lidded gaze of annoyance and intrigue had greeted him at the time.

Since then, a lot had changed.

Compared to back then, Yu’s deadpan expression had melted to favor a soft smile. His posture had broadened from confidence. His emotions had become readable. He was no longer alone.

Other things remained the same.

Upon seeing Yosuke, his eyes still upturned in evident pleasure. After everything they’d been through, seeing Yosuke was one of the few things that never ceased to break Yu’s stony-faced demeanor with sincere glee.

A soft breeze scattered cherry blossoms across the courtyard, creating a veil between them that lasted for a mere blip in time. And yet, somehow, it was still too long.

Yosuke's long legs moved in a confident stride to meet his fiancé as soon as possible. His parents almost had to jog to keep up with their eager son before they finally released him so he could join his husband-to-be at the center of the procession.

Their gloved hands molded together the instant Yu reached for him.

"You look amazing, partner," Yu mouthed as he took Yosuke's hand into his, bringing their bodies mere inches apart from each other's.

There were so many things Yosuke wanted to say. Like _: “I’m so happy that you’re the one I’m standing here with, and not anybody else. Part of me still thinks I’m dreaming. I love you so much. Seriously, do you just want to skip the ceremony and get married this second? Because I want to be your husband so bad. If I have to wait one more second to be married to you, I think I might explode…”_ and so on.

What Yosuke actually said was, “You too, Yu.”

As he drew closer, Yosuke was also able to see what appeared to be traces of tears in his partner's eyes. The tiny beads of moisture lingered on his lower lashes, and the realization made Yosuke's heart practically explode in his chest. His mind went blank and, after a few moments of stunned silence and vacant-minded staring, Yosuke was suddenly even more thankful for his father's advice. One of his hands reached for the paper where he’d scrawled his vows earlier.

“I believe now would be the proper time to share vows,” a voice said, effectively clearing the haze of the daydream. The sudden request came from Naoto, who stood between them dressed in a snappy suit.

In addition to helping Kanji decorate, she had also taken the liberty of getting the proper certification online to formally preside over and officiate the couple’s ceremony. It was another pleasant surprise in a series of wonderful discoveries that amazed Yu and Yosuke to their core.

With a thankful nod, Yu exhaled deeply before realigning his gaze with Yosuke’s. He clenched his partner’s hands tightly and spoke slowly. “I’ll go first.”

Yosuke nodded eagerly. He was trying to be nonchalant and failing miserably.

Nobody seemed to mind the display of enthusiasm, least of all Yu.

“Yosuke, so many unexpected things happened to me when I first came to Inaba…” he began, struggling to keep his voice from cracking, “But I think the most unexpected one of all was the day that I rescued my future husband from a trashcan outside school.”

Yosuke laughed. Boy, that was certainly inarguable.

He continued, “That day, we became fast friends…but not because of me. It was because of you. You offered to spend time with me. You talked to me, even when I didn’t have the energy to say anything in return. You bought me food, and you introduced me to other classmates who have also become treasured friends…”

In the audience, both Yukiko and Chie both leaned on each other for support. Yosuke held onto Yu tightly as well.

“You were my first friend,” Yu said as he slowly brandished the yellow topaz band and slid it onto Yosuke’s finger. The endeavor was a small battle because of how tightly they were clutching each other’s hands and had no interest in letting go. “You never left my side, even when times were hard. You made Inaba feel like home for me. I would be honored if you’d let me try to make anywhere we go from now on, for the rest of our lives, feel like home. Together.”

Yosuke stood in wide-eyed silence. If he hadn’t wanted to skip the wedding ceremony and just pull Yu into a furious kiss before, he sure did after hearing the vows. All of a sudden, he lost the focus needed to reach into his pocket and grab the statements he’d already prepared. It didn’t help that Teddie was audibly sniffling toward the back of the audience, thus foiling any semblance of dramatic seriousness.

“No fair,” Yosuke said, shaking his head. “How do you expect me to follow that, huh?”

An amicable rumble of laughter came from the audience. Meanwhile, Yu remained fully attentive.

Yosuke straightened his back and filled his lungs with a calming, blossom-scented air.

At that moment, he decided that instead of reading from a piece of paper that he would speak from his heart instead. It was one of the few things he knew he could do extremely well.

“Yu, when I first met you, I wasn’t sure who or what you were,” he confessed. “All I knew was that I liked you. I liked that you were from a big city, like me. I liked how cool you were under pressure too. Nothing ever seemed to ruffle you.”

Yu closed his eyes to stop happy tears and shook his head furiously.

Yosuke continued, “I liked that you always had a comeback for any situation. I liked how you got under the skin of people who tried to take advantage of others…but most of all, I liked how happy you were. When I felt lousy about my life, you walked right into it and reminded me how awesome it is to be alive. You gave me the confidence to be me and made me realize how my life could impact other people. I don’t know if I can do the same for you, but even if it takes me the rest of our lives together, I want to somehow give you even a small portion of all the happiness you gave me. It’s because…you’re special to me, y’know?”

The words echoed deep in Yu’s soul.

As he recalled vividly, Yosuke had said those same words to him all the way back in high school. They’d watched the sunset from a cliff high over the town’s neighborhoods. Yosuke had told him that he’d wanted to confess at the time but had failed to find the words to do so.

Now, as he slid a diamond ring on Yu’s hands before quickly entwining their fingers, words poured forth like a stream.

“You always have been,” Yosuke finished, sheepishly looking down toward the petal-scattered ground. “And always will be.”

The last words were so lowly mumbled that Yu almost couldn’t hear them.

The rest of the ceremony faded entirely into the background as Yu lunged forward and kissed Yosuke quickly, sliding their mouths together with passionate abandon. Yosuke accepted the embrace eagerly and with a yelp of delight. His hands flew from his sides to cup Yu’s face all while tilting his own to reassure a perfect angle for their first of many kisses as an officially wed couple.

Rise whooped loudly and the other attendees broke out into joyful applause.

Meanwhile, Naoto stood flabbergasted mere inches away.

“Oh…well, you two may kiss,” she fumbled, backing away from the couple as they rushed into an eager embrace. However, upon seeing their goofy smiles and hearing their joyful laughter between butterfly touches, she began to clap her hands loudly and return to form.

“I now pronounce you two officially wed,” she declared. “Congratulations!”

The thunderous cheers were almost intense enough to create an earthquake in the tiny town.

From a few rows back in the audience, Saki cheered and flashed the duo a proud thumbs-up.

Years ago, powerful entities lurking within the town of Inaba had chosen Yu and his confidants to save the world and rewrite the tragic fate of humanity. Their battles had tested their physical and mental strength. There had been many moments where their journey had almost ended prematurely multiple times from injury death, but in the end, they'd fought a powerful goddess and had prevailed.

The city of Inaba was where Yu and Yosuke had begun their life as partners and lovers. Then, after the end of their arduous journey, Yu and Yosuke were the ones to choose Inaba as the place where they finally began their life as husbands.

* * *

 As if the wedding hadn’t been joyous enough, the after-party was somehow even more of a celebration.

Crowds of dancers shimmied about to the live music. Notes and swelling crescendos from saxophones and clarinets danced from the instruments like bubbles from the bottom of a champagne flute. The lively music drew many guests from the sidelines and onto the dance floor. Teddie and Rise were a definite part of the dancing crowd. Chie and Yukiko also swirled about in each other’s arms, laughing joyfully with each step. Others, namely the older adults in the audience, quickly found the inn’s humble bar and made easy work of the modest drink selection.

Kanji and Naoto sipped heavily garnished drinks at one end of the bar. They were both more than ready to relax after the days of preparation and decorating they’d done to pull the event off.

At the opposite end of the bar, Yu sipped some liquid from a small glass as he watched the crowd of dancers from beneath the cherry trees. He was so distracted by the sight that he didn’t notice Yosuke sneak up to him. By the time he’d glanced over, he’d slinked close enough for their bodies to slot together snugly.

“Hey,” Yosuke smiled, leaning in slowly to place a kiss on his brow.

Yu leaned into the welcome touch, more than willing to close the remaining distance between them even more.

“Hey, yourself,” Yu replied.

The two exchanged lingering glances before Yosuke finally thought to tip his head down and peer into the crystal tumbler in his husband’s hand to observe the content. After a quick sniff, he wrinkled his nose.

“Only a vodka and soda?” Yosuke asked in amazement as he peered into the drink in Yu’s hand. “What’s up, partner? Watching your figure or something?”

Yu snorted and swirled the ice in his glass while Yosuke slung an arm about his shoulders.

“I hate to break it to you, but since your kinda perfect, I may need to order you a better drink,” Yosuke added, pointing to the modest beverage. The yellow topaz on his new ring glinted under the lights, and against the ice in his glass, the warm-tinted gem looked even more fitting on his partner’s hand.

While Yosuke’s flirting was a little wordy for his taste, the sentiment was still sweet. His steely gaze flickered to Yosuke’s instantly. He was always naturally drawn to the brightness that seemed to always dance in his eyes.

“As if I’d need to do that with the work-out you give me every night,” Yu snarked, leaning in and placing a kiss behind the shell of Yosuke’s ear. The spot was an especially ticklish one for Yosuke, who let out a light snort at the light brush of contact.

“Not _every_ night,” Yosuke added, biting his lip sheepishly. “I don’t think I have the stamina for that…but they say it’s good to have rest days, right?”

“Uh-huh?” Yu asked, wrapping an arm around Yosuke’s shoulders in return. “And who is ‘they?”

“…Fitness people,” Yosuke said, and Yu chuckled loudly.

“Fair enough.”

“So, seriously, why the light booze?” Yosuke asked. “I mean, not that you’re a lush or anything, but you typically order something with a little more… _punch_ after the workweek. Prepping for this wedding was one of the most stressful things we’ve ever done, and we still had a team of people helping us. I wouldn’t judge you if you reached for a dusty bottle or two.”

Yu couldn’t argue with that.

They’d only been married for a couple of hours, but as it turned out, his husband knew him well too well after all.

…Husband.

That would take getting used to.

“I just don’t feel like getting super buzzed tonight, that’s all,” he admitted with a casual shrug. Then, as he proceeded down half his drink in one gulp, he sighed wistfully. “Although I will admit, it is somewhat disappointing.”

“Not strong enough?”

“It’s just a little wimpy,” Yu admitted. “Maybe because it’s so simple?”

“The lack of hangover is pretty nice though,” Yosuke chipped in while waggling his glass of neat cognac. “No sugar crash either. I think I’m still partially traumatized after that time Rise made us those bottomless mimosas for that one brunch. Remember?”

Memories of hovering and heaving over a trash can for hours filled Yu’s mind.  

“…You’re two for two on fair points for the evening,” he said. A chill seeped through the layers of his Brioni wedding tuxedo at the memory. He still couldn’t look at champagne or pulpy orange juice without feeling instantly queasy.

Suddenly, the idea of drinking became extremely unappealing. A new tract of thought was desperately needed. So, he set his glass down on a nearby table and turned to Yosuke instead.

“Hey, you want to dance?” he asked.

“With you?” Yosuke asked with a grin. He abandoned his half-full glass and took his partner’s hands into his gingerly. “Hm. Sounds a little intimate, but I guess I don’t mind.”

With that, the newlyweds drifted into the courtyard’s enclosed dance floor to sway idly to the thrums and sounds of a jazzy melody. The song playing was one Yosuke recognized. It was a reharmonized mix of a popular contemporary jazz track. The poppy melody with plenty of emotional swells reminded Yosuke of the beats he’d used to blare in his headphones when he’d needed to psyche himself up for battle.

The two danced together in a sultry yet fast-paced rhythm without a single misstep. As it turned out, all their dancing experiences in high school had paid off in the long run.

“Man, our friends really knocked this out of the park, didn’t they?” Yosuke whispered to Yu when there was a dip in the music’s volume. It sounded as if the band was switching gears to play a more romantic melody.

Sure enough, the peppy tune from before slowly glided into a sultry melody. The other pairs on the dance floor also slowed their movements to fall in step with the rhythm.

“They did,” Yu admitted with a nod. His fingers gripped Yosuke’s hand affectionately while his other hand moved up and down his back in long strokes. “We’ll have to find some way to repay them. I doubt they did more to help us then they let on.”

“Gotta agree with that,” he replied with a chortle. “What do you think?”

“How about a big feast at Aiya’s before the weekend ends?” Yu asked. “Our treat, of course. You know, just like old times?”

“Just like old times, huh?” Yosuke parroted with a sigh of delight. “Mm-hmm. That sounds perfect. Although, if Teddie will be joining us, we might want to make a few bank withdrawals first. That’s gonna be one hefty bill.”

Yu laughed. “How about we just put in on your tab?”

“ _My_ tab?” Yosuke guffawed. “I’m not the one who ate their weight in beef bowls every month! If anyone has a tab, it has to be you. Or maybe Chie. She has downright carnivorous habits.”

“…You’re right,” Yu said reasonably as the two continued to spiral across the dance floor. “You know, you should go ask Chie if she has a tab from her ‘carnivorous habits.’ Make sure Yukiko is nearby when you do too.”

Yosuke lifted a fawn-colored brow. “Hm. That’s quite a suggestion. Want a second to grab your phone too? Maybe snap a few photos? Collect evidence for when I’m transported to the hospital?”

“Nah,” Yu quipped with a smirk. “I’d keep them. For the wedding scrapbook.”

The two shared a hearty laugh and bumped their foreheads together affectionately.  

“Okay, here’s my counteroffer,” Yosuke teased. “I’ll talk with the group and get a day and time picked out. Gimme a hot minute. I’ll round them up and be right back.”

As he went to move off the dance floor and circle the party to gather their friends, Yu’s grip slackened so his hand could slide from the small of Yosuke’s back and down the length of his arm. Yu pulled him back gently until Yosuke swayed against his chest with a soft thump.

“Don’t worry about that now,” Yu breathed in his ear, relishing in the way Yosuke’s body quaked with a shudder at the suggestion.

“Oh?” Yosuke huffed, biting his lip. He returned to the warmth of Yu’s embrace almost instantly. He continued lowly, “Why is that, partner? Do we have some more pressing matters to tend to that I’m unaware of?”

Yu bumped their hips together as an answer to the inquiry. When he felt Yosuke’s chest heave in response, a knowing chuckle rumbled in his throat.

Message received.

“In a manner of speaking,” Yu quipped. “However, if you’d prefer to…”

Yosuke was quick to abandon his drink on the closet table. The couple held hands the entire time as they briskly moved off the dance floor together.

* * *

 The two slipped away from the rest of the party easily. Between the dancers and drinkers frolicking about, going unnoticed barely qualified as a challenge. Now that the ceremony had officially concluded, everyone could relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Yu and Yosuke were no exception.

Hands clasped, the two fumbled through the areas of the Amagi Inn, sharing lopsided kisses that occasionally forced their bodies to collide with the nearest wall almost every step of the way. A few clumsy kisses landed on each other noses and chins, earning bouts of laughter each time.

After a few detours and wrong turns, the two finally arrived at the room Yukiko had been kind enough to reserve for them. It was on the top floor, and as promised, it was incredibly private and far from the rest of the festivities. They would have to pay her extra thanks at the soonest opportunity.

It took a few attempts to unlock the door, but once it finally gave way, they rushed inside the room with so much speed that Yu almost forgot to kick the door shut.

The two no sooner fell onto the bed, lips fused in a passionate kiss, that they began to untangle themselves from the layers of their suites. A symphony of gasps and groans filled the room as they grabbed at each layer of clothing and peeled it away until slivers of skin began to peep through.

They’d been together so many times before already, but something about the situation gave way to increased heat. Maybe it was the fact that they’d slipped away from the ceremony, or that they were dressed to the nines in some of the most expensive (not to mention attractively cut) clothes they’d likely wear for the entirety of their lives.

Oh, and they were married now. That definitely helped.

Everything was the same, and yet, just slightly different. Like viewing the world from a rosy lens.

When the column of Yu’s throat appeared from beneath the silken fabric of his tie, Yosuke leaned down eagerly to seize the soft skin between his teeth. He trundled atop Yu in a straddling position that also allowed him to roll their hips together in long, languid motions.

“Yosuke,” he mewled gruffly. The tinge of impatience in his voice only spurred Yosuke on.

The velvety area of his neck, which he’d always hid with a popped collar in high school, was a sensitive spot that Yosuke always worshipped in the brief eclipses they were alone together. To them, it was just another example of how in-tune the two were. Nobody else had ever noticed such a fine detail…except his partner.

“Hm?” Yosuke hummed, the sound sending a vibration onto Yu’s skin. When he shuddered in response, Yosuke released the skin he’d taken between his teeth with a small sigh. He eyed the reddish bite mark with satisfaction. “Yeah? What are you thinking?”

Yu couldn’t form the words to reply. Yosuke chuckled and nodded, easing up and shifting his weight off his partner. When he did, Yu’s hands lifted from their splayed grip across Yosuke’s thighs to gently glide up his narrow hips and up his chest.

He instinctively lifted his arms in response as Yu reached up and guided his partner’s shirt off his frame. Then, he tucked his chin close to his chest as Yu pulled the undershirt over his head and let it fall off the side of the bed.

“Much better,” Yu said, hands falling from his shoulders to glide along the expanse of Yosuke’s bare chest and concave stomach. He was still slimmer than Yu, but his form had matured and filled out with a few more swells of muscle since high school, where his form had previously been nothing short of concerningly reedy.

Yosuke chortled loudly. “Gee, partner. Are you looking or leering?”

He shrugged lazily. “Honestly? A bit of both.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Yosuke rolled his dark eyes at Yu’s deadpan reply as he reached down to push away the pesky jacket and shirt currently shielding Yu’s chest from his view. Once his body was bare completely from the waist up, Yosuke sounded a grunt of approval as he went for the zipper of his husband’s tented trousers. The pressure ebbed with a swift tug and Yosuke seized his husband’s hardened cock with equal parts gentleness and eagerness. The touch immediately caused Yu to gasp again and roll his hips up and into Yosuke’s grip.

This time, his rear lifted completely off the bed and carried Yosuke up with it.

“Woah!” Yosuke said, almost becoming unsteady atop his perch.

He then laughed and began to slowly, torturously, move his hand up and down along his partner’s hardened shaft. Almost instantly, he noticed the urgent flicker of arousal in his partner’s eyes in the tightness in his features.

“Shit, was that too much?” he asked, immediately picking up on the signals Yu was sending him. Too fast wasn’t how either of them liked to go. “Here, let me…”

As he slowed the rhythm and eased the intensity of his grip, Yu’s muscles almost instantly relax beneath him. They returned to the stability of the mattress with a soft bounce. Yu nodded in silent affirmation and continued to pulse his hips, his movements were immediately more fluid and relaxed. Each rhythmic thrust was punctuated with a hoarse gasp. Yosuke bit his bottom lip to suppress a pleased smirk.

Almost instantly, a buzzing began in Yu’s chest. Sparks of heat began to cluster at the base of his spine, soaring and spinning upward with each hard pump of his cock.

Each sway lifted his hips higher off the mattress and harder against the throbbing hardness between Yosuke’s own legs.

Pleased by his partner’s comfort and enthusiasm, Yosuke leaned back down and pressed another feverish kiss to Yu’s lips. This time, he angled his head to slot their jaws together so his tongue could gently prod the corner of Yu’s mouth with the gentlest of touches.

When Yu’s lips parted to grant permission, Yosuke slid his tongue in, touching and stroking in sync with the movements of Yu’s hips. When he ground hard against Yosuke’s hand, his tongue dove deeper to match. When his pace fluttered, Yosuke dotted butterfly kisses across his face instead. Every note of pleasure melted into an acutely tuned symphony.

When his movements were long and languid, he fused their mouths again. Each moment exploded and then continued to smolder.

“Yosuke…please,” Yu pleaded, which came out slightly garbled due to how fused their mouths were. When Yosuke opened his eyes to glimpse his partner’s expression, Yu’s eyes were twin pinpricks of silver intensity against the velvety blackness of their bedroom.

He knew the look well.

With reassurance this time, Yosuke pumped harder and faster than before. His thumb delicately trailed up toward the engorged phallus. The clear drop of precum that formed at the top vanished beneath Yosuke’s fingertip as he smoothed used the fluid to lube the engorged shaft. With his thumb pressed against the slit, he rubbed and massaged with focus and tenderness.

Yu screwed his eyes shut as another stab of pleasure-pain rattled his hips and made him cry Yosuke’s name.

“Yosuke…please, I…”

His partner nodded in understanding. The two hardly ever needed full sentences to communicate.

From stem to stern, Yosuke moved his wrist with fluctuating speed and strength depending on how intensely Yu groaned and ground their bodies together. In response, Yosuke’s own erection pulsed and pressed against the tightening seam of his pants. The mere sound of his partner’s moans, which were growing increasing louder and dripping with pleasure, made heat start to coil in hid lower abdomen.

With each rocking pulse, the coil tightened.

A primal urgency guided Yu as he reached up to cup the growing bulge between Yosuke’s legs with the intent to bring their two swollen cocks together and begin their frenzied climb to the peak of pleasure. The friction was causing the hardness to grind against his belly with each meeting of their bodies. That, combined with the way Yosuke’s hands were working him over so expert, was unraveling Yu’s mind and body until he was practically a tangle of pleasure. They always preferred to take things slow and steady, so if things kept up, Yu would…

His fingers grazed the cold metal of Yosuke’s belt buckle and began to tug.

However, Yosuke stopped him by reaching out and taking his wrist before Yu could touch him.

“Not like that,” Yosuke gasped. His cheeks were now flushed red, making his freckles pop like constellations. “I, um…want you inside me instead.”

Before Yu could even process the sentence, Yosuke lifted his hips up so he could unzip his pants and pull them off without dismounting. To Yu’s complete amusement, Yosuke then proceeded to fold the trousers as if he was folding an article of clothing for a sale rack at Junes and placed them off to the side safely.

“Don’t wanna ruin these, do we?” he joked as he laid the trousers across the end of the bed with the rest of his carefully discarded suit.

While the light bit of commentary made Yu laugh, it also made him weary that his partner may be trying to mask some emotion from him. Like a cover-up of some kind.

The thought came to Yu thanks to the simple fact that Yosuke hardly ever bottomed in their relationship. The few times he had tried, he’d seemed so nervous and jittery that the two usually ended up switching until the job was done.

“Are you sure?” Yu asked, putting aside his lust easily to make sure his partner was speaking truthfully about what he said he wanted. “You don’t have to…”

The rest of the sentence died on Yu’s tongue as he watched Yosuke toss his boxer briefs into the corner of the room reach back a slid a finger inside himself. The gesture made his body begin to bob gently.

“I’m sure,” he fidgeted, wiggling his ass against his hand to get the best angle. Yu’s jaw fell to his chest and his eyes glazed over. He made zero effort to conceal how crazy the exercise was turning him on.

The heat between their bodies only grew as Yosuke’s cock sprang forth mere inches from Yu’s. The anticipation of touching made Yosuke’s voice quiver. Then, he inserted a second finger into himself and shuddered. “But I want to. That is, if you’re okay with…”

“Hell yes,” Yu responded immediately. “Anything you want, Yosuke. Anything with you.”

Anything, Yosuke thought. He was so lucky. When it came to having a considerate, intelligent and loving partner, Yu excelled in spades.

That wasn’t to say that Yu didn’t excel in other areas. The silver-haired man was quite a sight beneath his heated partner’s gaze. With his erected cock standing to his navel and his nude body dotted with reddish nail marks and lovebites, he looked like something out of the risqué magazines Yosuke frequently supplemented his after-hours time in high school with.

Meanwhile, Yu was silently hypnotized by how Yosuke looked above him. It was like staring at a sculpture of warm marble. After their rigorous bouts of kissing, his lips had taken on an almost peachy color that made his mouth look even more desirable than usual.

He remembered the first time they had decided to sleep together. At the time, Yosuke had visibly recoiled at the idea of Yu leering at his body because, according to him, “I’m not as athletic as you, dude. Why do you want to look at me?”

The silver-haired man couldn’t fathom it. It never dawned on him that Yosuke could be anything less than perfect. He’d wanted to tell Yosuke to not feel so self-conscious, but the leader also didn’t fancy the practice of telling his loved ones what emotions they should or shouldn’t feel. Yosuke was a golden example of the rule.

A few strokes and scissoring motions later, Yosuke pulled his hand out and shook out the stiffness. “Okay. I…I think I’m ready.”

After another quick kiss to seal the agenda, Yu tossed his partner a half-smile. “Works for me, but…do you want to stay on top? Also, do you have any…?”

Yosuke nodded coyly as he reached his free hand back into his suit pocket and brandished a small plastic bottle with a matte cap. It was so inconspicuous that it was immediately identifiable to Yu as lube, even without a label. Behind the bottle was the foiled wrapper of a name-brand condom. Even better.

“I came extra prepared,” Yosuke offered smugly. Then, his expression shifted to something more…demure? Or, was he embarrassed? Yu wasn’t certain.

“Um, if it’s okay, I’d rather try it from… _behind_ …instead,” he mumbled as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. “I know it’s lame, but since it’s kind of my first time doing it that way, I think it might be—”

“Yosuke, you don’t owe me an explanation,” Yu reminded him in a tone that was soft yet firm. He reached up and caressed Yosuke’s freshly shaven jaw with his thumb. “I meant what I said. Anything with you sounds perfect.”

Yosuke practically swooned on the spot at Yu’s tenderness, but held it together long enough to simply nod and place a thankful kiss on his partner’s mouth.

While the two could have spent the rest of the evening exchanging heated kissed and soft words, the pounding pressure between both of their legs reminded them of the pressing deadline they had to meet to avoid painful repercussions.

The two proceeded to switch positions. Yu wrapped an arm around his Yosuke’s waist and flipped their bodies so that Yosuke’s back was pressed against the mattress instead. Then, he turned him over again so his ass could be properly lifted into the air. Another couple pillows beneath his narrow hips also helped to keep him pert.

Yosuke quickly passed Yu the lube and his erection began to pound in further anticipation. Busy fingers made easy work of the puffy hotel pillow at his front. Before long, the puffed shape would be worried into a lumpy brick. “Hurry, okay?

A nondescript grunt left Yu.

Since Yosuke had already stretched, Yu didn’t waste a second using his knee to nudge Yosuke’s legs apart. Then, his fingertips trailed fire from Yosuke’s shoulders all the way back down to Yosuke’s raised hips. Smooth nails drew gentle shapes into Yosuke’s prickled flesh before clutching either side of his pelvis like a set of handlebars.  Yosuke gasped again, this time, more audibly than before. He smothered most of the sound by sinking his teeth into the pillow. The simple act was a perfect buffer that filtered out the noise perfectly.

When Yu leaned over and gave him another inquiring look, Yosuke turned his head and smiled.

“Better safe than sorry,” he laughed. “Don’t worry, I can still move my tongue and breathe really well. Besides, if I can do this…I can kind of pretend that I’m kissing you instead.”

A groan snaked out of Yu’s mouth at the idea. “Yosuke…”

The sound lured a shameless grin to Yosuke’s visage that was borderline coquettish.

“Maybe we can try that next time,” he teased obviously. He added another shimmy of his hips, just for flair. “If we did that…I wouldn’t be able to keep the tiniest whimper a secret from you. No matter how hard I wanted to cry out or scream your name, you could just cover my mouth with yours and control every sound I make.”

Another groan, this time, followed by a shallow breath.

“Partner…if you keep this up,” Yu said warningly, using their special nickname to punctuate the sense of urgency he felt. Yosuke felt a surge of pride at the reaction. Whether it was fucking or foreplay, Yosuke could aim and pin each of Yu’s fantasies like he was throwing his kunai at Shadows: precisely and efficiently.

“Yu,” Yosuke whispered. He turned around and braced his hands against the headboard. “I want you, partner…please.”

At this, both of Yu’s hand reached for and grabbed Yosuke’s hips. The sound of the lube bottle being opened and the condom wrapper being torn made his hips prematurely buck with desire. While he waited, he inserted a third finger into his ass and continued to stretch.

He felt good. Better than good. He felt _ready._

Any minute, Yu would be inside him.

Yu, his partner, his husband, would be fucking him from behind while their wedding guests continued to party only a few thin walls away.

“Yu, please,” Yosuke practically wept. His hands balled into fists around the pillow beneath him.

Then, Yosuke felt the engorged tip of Yu’s cock slide into him.

Yosuke gasped and hiked his ass higher in the air.

Fuck, Yu felt huge. Huge and wonderful inside of him.

After a few beats of stillness, he heard Yu swallow and felt his grip tighten on his hip. “Good?”

Yosuke nodded and reared his hips back in affirmation. The gesture allowed Yu’s erection to slide further past the tight ring of muscle more and more. Each inch was hard and long and provided amazing pressure that made Yosuke ache with even more need.

Yosuke pulled his lips away from the pillow just long enough to say one word, “Move.”

Another grunt. This time, it sounded like a “Yes.”

Yu’s hands returned to Yosuke’s hips as he pulled out a few centimeters and slid back in. The friction was lessened, but the impact of the thrust was much more pleasurable. Yosuke shifted his legs slightly, angling his ass as Yu pulled out further before thrusting harder and faster.

That time, Yosuke lurched forward and moaned into the pillow. The new spot felt even better than the last.

With extra help from Yu’s guiding hand, Yosuke eased his legs further apart and cocked his spine a bit more. All the while, Yu’s cock arced and stretched inside him, pressing and prodding insistently. When one of the perfectly timed thrusts grazed his prostate, his cries turned to guttural sounds of pure, unbridled lust.

Slowly, the same hand Yu had used to guide Yosuke’s legs also looped around to begin stroking Yosuke’s already dripping cock with a free hand.

Yosuke’s begging was muffled by the pillow, but the nodding never ceased.

When Yu sank to the hilt inside Yosuke and began a steady rhythm, Yosuke let out a low groan and began to sink into the same pace. Yosuke bobbed his head in agreement, a silent plea for his partner to keep going and not stop.

In no time, their bodies were meeting with skin-slapping urgency. Each time Yu ground their hips together, Yosuke threw his head back as far as he could and cried out. Each deep circle of motion sent tidal waves of heat through both of their frames.

Back, front. Back, front. Back, front.

The constant pleasure almost overwhelmed him. It would have been painful if it had been anyone except Yu. Even though it was his first time on bottom, Yu treated him with gentleness without making him feel like glass. It a perfect balance that only came from a lower that knew their partner’s body well.

When Yu leaned over Yosuke’s ass, abs caressing the raw skin of his backside, he pressed light kisses along the back of his neck and across his shoulders. Each touch was a gentle punctuation mark after each pound inside him. Combined with the way Yu was working over his cock, Yosuke thought that he might shatter from the repeated pangs of bliss.

It was good. It was wet, hot and so blindingly amazing that every other sensation became blotted out. Dripping sweat and crinkling linens were long forgotten. There was nothing else expect them.

Then, a telltale stiffness began to burn in his calves before rocketing up the back of his thighs. The muscles in his ass began to constrict and tighten, and suddenly, he could feel his body molding to the perfect shape of Yu’s cock inside him.

With a muffled cry (“Yu, Yu, Yu, _Yu!_ ”) Yosuke reared his hips back as hard as he could, slamming hard and fast backward while Yu met each eager thrust with a firm jerk of his hips. Their bodies ground together mercilessly until a rippling pleasure began to tear through Yu’s body as well. He wasn’t as loud as Yosuke, but the cascade of grunts and hard thrusts Yosuke felt pounding his prostate were enough to let him know the Yu’s own climax was swiftly following his own. With each surge of pleasure came a stab of friction and scalding heat that only coerced Yosuke’s body to contract harder and tighter around the firm cock that was plowing him from behind.

Moisture dripped down the backs of his trembling thighs, where he also felt Yu’s flesh pressed tightly against his own. The layers of sweat and other fluids between their slamming bodies should have probably felt gross, but neither of them cared.

Yosuke had come so hard that tear pricked the corners of his eyes. The waves of pleasure had tightened his body mercilessly, wringing him like a washrag.

Speaking of wringing, as he cast a glance downward, he saw that his own released had also drenched his partner’s hand.

Thankfully, none of it appeared to have dripped onto the bedsheets.

“Are…you good?” Yosuke asked as he released the pillow he’d been biting into. Both his tongue and whole jaw felt cotton-mouthed as a result. He’d definitely need a glass of water to go along with a cleansing shower.

Yu’s response came in the form of a throaty laugh. Then, the sensation of lips kissing the base of his neck caused Yosuke’s body to relax further as the ticklish sensations began to dull the ache in his legs and hips.

“Better than good,” Yu sighed contently.

One of his arms that had been bracing the wall above the bed’s headboard drifted downward to wrap around Yosuke’s slumped shoulders. Yu pulled Yosuke into a clumsy embrace.

“I love you, Yosuke,” Yu whispered as he pressed yet another kiss to his partner’s brow. While Yu never shied away from telling others how much he cared for them or told Nanako and Dojima how much he loved them as family, the words always seemed to linger longer in the back of his throat when he spoke them to Yosuke. They stuck there, ever-present but never invasive or unpleasant

Yosuke’s eyes fluttered as he sleepily nodded. He released his hold on Yu’s arm so he could run his hand across Yu’s flushed cheekbone. “I love you too, Yu.”

“I’m gonna pull out, okay?” Yu warned.

The warning was appreciated. Thankfully, it wasn’t as painful as Yosuke had anticipated, but the sensation was still bizarre enough that he sank his fingertips into the swell of Yu’s bicep to help relieve some of the stress. When the sensation passed, he heaved a sigh of relief.

“Mmm.”

The condom was promptly removed and tied at the top. After tossing it in the nearest trash can near the bed, Yu barely resisted the urge to collapse onto his husband and go to sleep.

Husband.

…That would still take getting used to.

“Yosuke, we’re married,” Yu said suddenly, a blissful smile crossing his face and he continued to hold his partner in his arms.

A weak laugh escaped Yosuke as he rolled over and tucked Yu’s head beneath his chin. “What the heck? Did you forget already? Damn. You must have had a pretty good time if your head is that foggy.”

Another goofy laugh. “We’re married.”

Hazel eyes rolled skyward. Yosuke lifted a hand and gently knifed his fingers through the mop of silver hair that was splayed against his chest.

“Yu, we need to take a shower,” Yosuke reminded him softly. A few jostles followed but to no avail. “Come on. You know we’ll regret it if we don’t.”

“Just a little longer,” Yu pleaded with a groan as he tightened his grip around Yosuke’s waist. His head rested right over Yosuke’s chest, allowing him to hear each and every thud of his beating heart. “I just want to lay here for a little while longer. Just a few more minutes…okay?”

Yosuke couldn’t find the will to disagree. “Of course, partner.”

The two remained entwined even as the sun continued to dip before the horizon. The Golden Hour followed shortly and bathed the entire city of Inaba in honey. Only then did the two rise from their tangle and head for the nearest private bath.

Even then, the two ambled at a leisurely place through the halls of the Amagi Inn. They’d roamed the inn so many times during their youth, galivanting through the halls with the other members of the Investigation Team. They’d celebrated so many victories and special occasions within the historic building, and in the town of Inaba as a whole.

Back in high school, Yu had always had to leave at some point. It gave every occasion or party a touch of sadness. There had been an almost stifling pressure to live every moment to its fullest. There had been a quiet urgency that dictated the way Yu acted and spent time with everyone he loved. Between monitoring the daily weather forecast and timing all their battles to save the world from destruction, idleness was a fantasy. There had never been a single minute to spare.

Now, in Yasoinaba and beyond, Yu and Yosuke had all the time in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head, the song Yu and Yosuke dance to is “Stranger on the Shore.”  
> And speaking of shores…  
> Next time: Yu and Yosuke go on a much-deserved honeymoon!  
> Thank you all so much for waiting for this very long and very belated update. Also, thank you so much for reading all the way to the end. It always means so much. Seeing your views, reviews and kudos seriously motivates me to always keep going, even when inspo runs low.  
> I love all you guys, and I’ll see you soon!  
> Buh-byyyyye.
> 
> In the meantime, please follow me on tumblr (romeo-and-antoinette) for more Souyo shenanigans!

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so jealous of Yosuke in this fic. I mean, sex with hotshot-lawyer Yu Narukami must be great…but have you ever tried restaurant-quality pizza? Bruh. 
> 
> Anyway, this was long. Really long. If you guys are still here, congrats! I feel like I need to reward you guys with mini water bottles and medals for finishing this marathon of a chapter, ahaha!
> 
> Welp, the next chapter will be the wedding chapter! Again, it’ll have the same backbone as the chapter for my earlier Souyowrimo fic (“30 Moments”) but it’ll have added details and will be expanded drastically. There will be vows, a reception, and a wedding night too, of course.  
> I hope you see you all back here for the next installment! I love you all, and thank you so much for reading!  
> Hugs, kisses, and buh-bye for now!


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